Triplets' gifts stolen

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A New Brighton couple are scrambling to replace their triplets' Christmas presents after their house was ransacked just two weeks after they moved in.

The mother, who did not want to be identified, said the family had just bought the property.

When they returned home on Wednesday, they found the house had been burgled.

A window on the side of the house had been smashed.

The family of five moved to New Zealand from Britain and it was their second unlucky Kiwi Christmas.

Last year, they bought a used car from a dealership in Nelson, but the engine blew up.

"We thought this year we would make it work and stay at home. We put the presents under the tree the day before," the woman said

Several parcels were from family and friends overseas, she said.

"We don't want to tell them their presents were stolen after someone broke into our house in New Zealand. The post is so expensive and they organised everything a few weeks ago so [the parcels] could get here on time."

Project Lyttelton had been helping them replace some of the presents for the 4-year-old triplets, who were not aware of what was going on, she said.

"My husband was very quick-thinking and when they saw the presents all ripped up, he said, ‘Hasn't the kitten been naughty?' So they think it's the kitten."